Opportunities

Outstanding Alumnus

Most of you are acquainted with Larry Norris through his professional persona of Director of the Arkansas Department of Correction, a position in which he has served the people of Arkansas since December 1993. But, are you aware that Larry has a bachelorâ€™s degree from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and graduated with his masterâ€™s degree in criminal justice from UALR in 1989?

Throughout his tenure as Director, Larry has worked hard to improve the standards and quality of work in his chosen profession. Today, the training and pay of correctional officers is higher than it has ever been and, thanks to Larryâ€™s guidance, individuals seeking to hold a position as warden or higher must complete a bachelorâ€™s degree to be considered for promotion to that level. Larry Norris is a member of the Association of State Correctional Administrators and the American Correctional Association.

He has served as president of the Arkansas Criminal Justice Association and is the current president of the Southern States Correctional Association. If you were at some of our Criminal Justice Alumni Association meetings, you sampled some of Larryâ€™s efforts. He was instrumental in helping the Association get started and the people who cooked that great meal also work for him at the Wrightsville Unit.